Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Important BEST Plus Test and CLASE-E Test Administrator Recertification Information

Dear Program Directors:

February 27, 2012

Please share this important assessment information with the BEST Plus and/or CLAS-E Test Administrators on staff.

CLAS-E Recertification Due Date Reminder:

This is a reminder that the CLAS-E Test Administrator Certification is due tomorrow, Wednesday, February 29. 2012. Please fax or email the score sheet to the practitioner's regional SABES Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator. Test Administrators will be notified of their score and certification status by email within one week.

BEST Plus Recertification Information and Due Date:

First, thank you to all who have participated in assessing students this year. We know it takes time and careful attention on your part. It is so important that we continue to administer and score the standardized assessments correctly. If we are to maintain accurate scores statewide, then it is vital to make sure all administrators and scorers are following the same test protocols. A significant part of this process is ensuring that all BEST Plus test administrators are scoring strictly according to the BEST Plus rubric, and for test administrators to re-familiarize themselves with the scoring process (known as recalibration) each time before they test.

To ensure scoring accuracy, BEST Plus test administrators must recertify annually by taking part in a Scoring Refresher and successfully completing a 30-minute scoring activity. Practitioners who took an Initial Certification training for BEST Plus during the FY 12, (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012 do not need to recertify at this time.) Recertification entails successfully completing Scoring Activity #1. To ensure successful completion, the BEST Plus Scoring Refresher Toolkit must be reviewed first.

The completed Scoring Activity must be sent to the Program's Regional SABES Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator by Friday, March 30. The SABES Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator will score and notify practitioners of their status by April 30. Those passing the scoring activity will have their name and certification status entered into the SMARTT Professional Development database. (Please note: test administrators will not receive a certificate, so they should print out the email indicating their certification status to give to their program director and retain a copy for their own records. The new certificate will be valid for at least one year. For further details about the recertification criteria, please refer to the BEST Plus Assessment Policy Manual, page 6, found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/assessment/, under the section "2011 Policy." Test Administrators who do not return their Scoring Activity by this date will not be able to administer the BEST Plus until they re-take the initial BEST Plus training, refresher, and scoring activity.

If you have any questions or concerns about BEST Plus, please feel free to contact Jane Schwerdtfeger at janes@doe.mass.edu. Thank you for your continued hard work.

With Literacy in Mind.

Anne SerinoABE State DirectorMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education